| The benefit of meditation exercise are countless | | | | your mouth. In breathing this way, you slow your |
| but before I begin to outline them let us | | | | heart rate down and place you in a much more |
| investigate where this ancient art began. | | | | relaxed and calmer state. This breathing method |
| Where is all started: | | | | also helps to improve your concentration. |
| To exactly find a point in the history of mankind | | | | Step Two: |
| where meditation began would be difficult. Suffice | | | | Now while you are breathing, inhaling and exhaling |
| to say that it would have commenced many | | | | as described in step one focus your attention on |
| millennia ago. However what we do know is that | | | | your breathing. Focus on the 'feeling' of the air |
| meditation began in ancient civilizations. | | | | that passes through your nose that fills your lungs |
| Many Hindi scholars from India wrote about | | | | and expands the diaphragm. Focus on the |
| meditation and these are better known as the as | | | | sensation. |
| the Vedas and the Yoga Sutras which were | | | | Getting the most out of your meditation sessions: |
| written by Patanzali. | | | | Meditation is an art that like anything else |
| And then of course there was the meditation of | | | | demands practise on a daily basis, perseverance |
| Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha). The East has | | | | and above all else requires that you are patient in |
| practised meditation for countless centuries and | | | | allowing the results of your meditation to come |
| though the Western world caught on it really | | | | through. |
| wasn't until the mid 20th century that meditation | | | | As a music teacher I often set out on paper for |
| began to be so popular in the western world. | | | | any new students a set of guidelines to optimize |
| The benefits of meditation: | | | | their practise sessions. The key being 'daily' and |
| - Helps you to relax quickly | | | | then a list of ways that their practise time is |
| - Improve concentration and clarity of mind | | | | effective i.e that they get the most of out their |
| - Reduces anxiety | | | | practise sessions. |
| - Helps you gain a general sense of well being | | | | Meditation is done in much the same way. |
| - Assists in restoring health | | | | Meditate in a quiet area where you know you will |
| - Raises tolerance levels | | | | not be disturbed or distracted for the duration of |
| - Increases creativity | | | | your meditation practise. |
| - Brings out the inherently 'content and happy | | | | Always meditate in the same room if possible and |
| person' from within | | | | preferably avoid being in a very cold or very hot |
| - Helps to create within you an inner peace and | | | | environment. It is difficult to concentrate if your |
| happiness | | | | environment is uncomfortable. |
| - Assists in both mind and body healing | | | | Take your shoes off and wear loose comfortable |
| How to mediate for beginners: | | | | clothing. |
| One of the most common errors we can make | | | | Dawn is known to be the most effective time of |
| when learning about 'how to meditate correctly' is | | | | day for meditating. So if at all possible meditate |
| not to try too hard. I spent over three decades | | | | first thing in the morning, but if this isn't possible |
| searching for the 'best ways' to meditate and | | | | at least attempt to meditate around the same |
| during that search I attended meditation classes, | | | | time each day. This aids in establishing a routine. |
| read books, purchased guided meditation CD's and | | | | Learning meditation on your own without any |
| tapes, DVD's and videos all in my extraneous | | | | guidance can be a little overwhelming so continue |
| effort to learn the most effective way to | | | | to research meditation so that you can get the |
| meditate. | | | | most out of it. For absolute beginners, guided |
| Fact is that it was not until a couple of years ago | | | | meditation is by far one of the simplest and |
| that I discovered that the simplest and most | | | | easiest way to start and the learner will not feel |
| effective way of mediating is to ' relax and | | | | so isolated. |
| breathe. Breathing is the most important part of | | | | To this day meditation is still the greatest method |
| meditating and this needs to be performed | | | | to achieving inner peace and well being and is |
| accurately. I call it the 2 step method that with | | | | being recommended by many health practitioners |
| practice anyone can get down to an art. | | | | both in the alternative fields as well as in the |
| Step One: | | | | orthodox such as general practitioners and |
| Inhale through your nose and allow your | | | | specialists. |
| diaphragm to expand while you exhale through | | | | |